How long does it take?

Examination reports are currently issued roughly 12–14 months after filing; if there is no objection or opposition, registration follows at about 18–24 months. Contested applications run longer.

Expedited examination under Rule 34 (Form TM-M) costs ₹20,000 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises (₹40,000 others) and pulls examination forward to weeks.

How long is registration valid?

Ten years from the filing date, renewable every ten years with Form TM-R.

Saturday, 5 September 2026Playbooks: The exact steps, in order.Reviewed through 5 Sept 2026

29 playbooks, 180 steps. Every fee, date and pass mark is sourced, and each playbook says when it was last checked.

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Register a trademark in India

Search, file Form TM-A in the right class, get the ™ from day one, answer the examination report, survive publication, and receive the ® — 18–24 months if unopposed.

Time: Filing 1 day · examination queue ~12–14 months · registration 18–24 months if unopposed
Cost: ₹4,500 per class online for individuals, startups and small enterprises · ₹9,000 for others · expedited examination ₹20,000/₹40,000
Reviewed: 5 Sept 2026; 7 steps · 17 checks

Report an outdated step

Trademark registration in India is a long, mostly waiting process with three moments where your action decides the outcome: the search and class choice before filing, the reply to the examination report a year later, and the opposition window after publication. Do the first well and the other two are usually formalities.

Search before you fall in love with the name

Run the public search on IP India (wordmark, phonetic and device search) in every class you will use.
Check the MCA company names and the domain/social handles for the same reasons.
If a similar mark exists in your class, change the name now; it is cheaper than a year lost at examination.

Pick the classes

Map your goods and services to the Nice classification (45 classes); goods and services are separate classes.
File in every class you actively use or will use within a couple of years; fees are per class.

Prepare the application

Applicant details (individual, company, LLP), the mark (word, or JPEG logo), the class and the exact goods/services description.
Startup (DPIIT) or MSME (Udyam) certificate to claim the ₹4,500 fee; otherwise ₹9,000 per class.
A user affidavit if you claim use from a date before filing.

File Form TM-A online

File on the IP India e-filing portal with a DSC, or through a registered agent/attorney.
Pay the fee; the application number arrives immediately and you can use ™ from this date.
Consider Form TM-M for expedited examination if a launch or investor needs the registration quickly.

Examination and reply

The Registry's examination report arrives after roughly 12–14 months (weeks if expedited); it either accepts or raises objections (absolute grounds, or a conflicting mark).
Reply within one month with arguments and evidence; attend the show-cause hearing if listed.

Publication and opposition

On acceptance the mark is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal; anyone may oppose within four months.
If opposed, file a counter-statement within two months; evidence rounds and a hearing follow.

Registration and maintenance

With no opposition, the registration certificate issues and the mark becomes ® — valid ten years from filing.
Set a renewal reminder for Form TM-R before the ten-year mark; use the mark, because non-use for five years invites cancellation.

Questions

How long does it take?: Examination reports are currently issued roughly 12–14 months after filing; if there is no objection or opposition, registration follows at about 18–24 months. Contested applications run longer.
Can it be faster?: Expedited examination under Rule 34 (Form TM-M) costs ₹20,000 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises (₹40,000 others) and pulls examination forward to weeks.
How long is registration valid?: Ten years from the filing date, renewable every ten years with Form TM-R.

Sources

The numbers above come from these pages. If a fee or date here disagrees with the source, the source wins.

Report an outdated step

Where people get this wrong

Filing in one class when you sell in two. Protection is per Nice class; software (class 9) and SaaS services (class 42) are different classes, and so are goods and their retail.
Skipping the search. A conflicting mark surfaces at examination a year later; a ₹0 search on IP India's public search finds most conflicts in ten minutes.
Missing the examination reply deadline. The reply to the examination report is due within one month of receiving it; no reply means the application is abandoned.
Using ® before registration. The ™ symbol is fine from filing; ® is only lawful after the registration certificate issues.

Tools used

IP India — Trade Marks e-filing (official) — File Form TM-A, track examination and reply to reports.
IP India public trademark search (official) — Wordmark, phonetic and device search across the Indian register.

More, by task, on find.do.

Register a trademark in India

Search before you fall in love with the name

Pick the classes

Prepare the application

File Form TM-A online

Examination and reply

Publication and opposition

Registration and maintenance

Questions

Sources

See also

Register a private limited company in India (SPICe+)

Form a US LLC

1Search before you fall in love with the name

2Pick the classes

3Prepare the application

4File Form TM-A online

5Examination and reply

6Publication and opposition

7Registration and maintenance

Questions

Sources

See also

Register a private limited company in India (SPICe+)

Form a US LLC

Search before you fall in love with the name

Pick the classes

Prepare the application

File Form TM-A online

Examination and reply

Publication and opposition

Registration and maintenance